Stop the greed, John Deere. We bought the tractor -- you don't own it. We should have the right to repair it.

Farmers can’t, and it's time to speak out about the right to repair in agriculture. They need LB67, the Fair Repair Act. passed ASAP. It’s now stalled in the Judiciary Committee -- driven by high-paid lobbyists working for companies that are screwing farmers on repair.

If Deere and others are trying to kill traditional on-farm repair, they've done a great job. Recently, the Nebraska Farm Bureau agreed by a 99 percent delegate vote supporting right to repair. Senators need to act.

Massachusetts passed the Automobile Repair Act six years ago, which went nationwide and ensures independent mechanics can repair cars, not just dealers.

In ag repair, it’s pure greed -- and dollars pouring out of state. Nebraska introduced right-to-repair legislation in 2015; 15 other states followed.

Now, the Legislature can help farmers by passing LB67 to require Deere and others to provide fair access to tractor repair software, security updates and replacement parts. This will get worse if something isn't done to stop this corporate monopoly on repair.

If you share the spirit of LB67, call your Nebraska state senator to help farm repair to be fair, affordable and accessible. Don’t let Deere and others hide behind locked software. Now is the time to get farmers’ right to repair back with fair-minded legislation protecting basic consumer rights.

Please tell your senator to help farmers. The rest of the U.S. is watching Nebraska.

Kevin Kenney, Raymond

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